Transponder device for the identification of objects in front of pieces of equipment

ABSTRACT

A transponder device for the identification of objects in front of pieces of equipment, with an integrated switching circuit, with a first driver and with a carrier accommodating a circuit, whereby the first driver and the switching circuit are deposited on a first surface of the carrier, and whereby a plurality of contract points are deposited on a second surface of the carrier. In order to make available a transponder device with which the integrated switching circuit of the transponder can be used from outside the encapsulation and on repeated occasions, provision is made such that the integrated switching circuit and the first driver are encapsulated with the carrier in such a way that the integrated switching circuit and the first driver can be contacted electronically from outside the encapsulation solely via the contact points, and that the integrated switching circuit encodes the first signal for the first driver.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a transponder device for theidentification of objects in front of pieces of equipment, with anintegrated switching circuit, with a first driver and with a carrieraccommodating a circuit, whereby the first driver and the integratedswitching circuit are deposited on a first surface of the carrier,whereby a plurality of contact points are deposited on a second surfaceof the carrier and whereby the contact points are connected electricallyto the switching circuit and the first driver. The carrier accommodatingthe circuit can be formed by a circuit board, an encapsulated circuit orany other material accommodating a circuit as well as a mixed form ofthe latter.

With present-day transponders known in-house, it is common for a driver,preferably an aerial, to be encapsulated together with the integratedswitching circuit. The effect of the encapsulation is that the aerialand the integrated switching circuit can no longer be contactedelectrically from outside the encapsulation. The functions available onthe integrated switching circuit can be used solely from the aerial. Theaerial in connection with the integrated switching circuit is a purelypassive system which is activated by an external high-frequency field.The integrated switching circuit draws its energy from thehigh-frequency field of the environment with the aid of the aerial. Withthe aid of this energy, the integrated switching circuit generates asignal which is in turn transmitted by the aerial.

Such a conventional transponder is also known from DE 196 28 802 A1. Thetransponder described therein is connected to two aerial coils. Theaerial coils are connected via a contact area to an integrated switchingcircuit. With this transponder, however, the integrated switchingcircuit is not encapsulated and is thus unprotected againstenvironmental influences.

A transponder is also known from DE 197 53 619, which has two aerialswhich jointly access an integrated switching circuit. Here too, however,the integrated switching circuit is not encapsulated with an aerial.

In present-day applications, it is entirely possible that activeelements are also required in addition to the passive transponders. Inthe main, these active elements have an aerial which is operated from asecond integrated switching circuit. These so-called transmitters drawtheir energy from an energy source provided in the device and transmit asignal via the aerial. Frequently, both the signal transmitted by thetransponder and the signal transmitted by the transmitter have to becoded. In the course of coding, signals are changed from their signalspace into a second signal space. This is necessary particularly whensignals are coded. In the course of the coding, the signals areconverted with the aid of a more or less complex transformationalgorithm into signals which, without the corresponding coding key,cannot be returned to the original form, or can only be so with greateffort. This is routinely the case when security-relevant information istransmitted with the aid of the signals. For the purpose of coding, theintegrated switching circuits in the transponder as well as in thetransmitter must make a coding algorithm available, with the aid ofwhich the information-carrying signal is coded.

Since the coding algorithm in the transponder and also in thetransmitter is often the same, it is a drawback with known transponderdevices that they have to have two integrated switching circuits. Thisis absolutely essential, since the integrated switching circuit in thetransponder cannot be contacted electrically from outside theencapsulation and its functions cannot therefore be used from outsidethe encapsulation. A further drawback emerges in the following, to theeffect that the size and cost of the overall device increaseconsiderably on account of the two required integrated switchingcircuits.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem underlying the invention, therefore, is to make available atransponder device, with which the integrated switching circuit of thetransponder can be used from outside the encapsulation and on repeatedoccasions.

The problem derived and set out above is solved by the invention in sucha way that the integrated switching circuit and the first driver areencapsulated with the carrier in such a way that the integratedswitching circuit and the first driver can be contacted electricallyfrom outside the encapsulation solely via the contact points, and thatthe integrated switching circuit encodes a first signal for the firstdriver. The great advantage of such a transponder device is the factthat the integrated switching circuit of the transponder can be usedrepeatedly. A coding algorithm available on the integrated switchingcircuit of the transponder can be used both for the coding of thetransponder signal as well as for the coding of a signal applied fromoutside, for example the transmitter signal. It is in addition ensuredthat the transponder is protected by the encapsulation againstenvironmental influences.

It is advantageous for a second driver to be arranged outside theencapsulation, for the integrated switching circuit to encode a secondsignal for the second driver and for the second signal to arrive at thesecond aerial via the contact areas. The coded signal can be fed to thesecond driver and transmitted via the contact points. The repeated useof the integrated switching circuit gives rise to enormous costadvantages over a device with two integrated switching circuits. Inaddition, the size of the overall transponder device is reducedconsiderably, since the space for a second integrated switching circuitcan be saved.

In order to be able to transmit a first and/or a second signal via anair interface, it is proposed that the first and/or the second driver isdesigned as an aerial.

By means of the contact areas, it is possible for a driver circuit togenerate a carrier signal, for the carrier signal to arrive at theintegrated switching circuit via the contact areas and for theintegrated switching circuit to generate the second signal from thecarrier signal. This means that the carrier signal generated by thedriver circuit is first fed via the contact areas to the integratedswitching circuit, that this carrier signal is coded in the integratedswitching circuit with the aid of the coding algorithm present on theintegrated switching circuit and that this coded signal is relayed viathe contact areas to the second driver, for example a second aerial.

Apart from the coding algorithm, it is possible to program on theintegrated switching circuit sequencing controls, with the aid of whicha status display for example, in particular a light-emitting diode, iscontrolled. The sequencing controls available on the integratedswitching circuit are controlled in such a way that at least one switcharranged outside the encapsulation is connected to the integratedswitching circuit via the contact areas and that the switch positioninfluences the behaviour of the integrated switching circuit. Theactivation state of the transponder device is also controlled via theswitches. Once a switch has been pressed, the sequencing control isactivated, whereupon previously selected signals for example aretransmitted by the transmitter. This takes place in such a way that theintegrated switching circuit controls a sequence of functions inside thetransponder device in dependence on the position of the switch, wherebythe integrated switching circuit controls elements outside theencapsulation via the contact areas.

Although the same coding algorithm is used for the signal transmitted bythe transmitter as well as for the signal transmitted by thetransponder, it is advantageous for different keys to be used for thetwo signals. This is ensured by the fact that the integrated switchingcircuit encodes the first and the second signal with an identical codingalgorithm, whereby a coding key for the first signal differs from acoding key for the second signal.

The status displays arranged outside the encapsulation are controlled bythe integrated switching circuit via the contact areas. Through thestatus displays, the user has information on the current status of thetransponder device.

In order to avoid interference between the signals and to ensure normaltransponder functioning, the transponder device is designed in such away that the first aerial sends at a frequency in the kHz range and thesecond aerial sends at a frequency in the MHz range.

For the purpose of easier contacting between the components arrangedoutside the encapsulation and the components arranged inside theencapsulation, it is proposed that the contact points are designed as abuilt-in grid array.

For the coding of the transmitter signal, the integrated switchingcircuit located inside the encapsulation requires energy. Onepossibility for supplying the integrated switching circuit with energyis characterised in that an energy supply is arranged outside theencapsulation and that the energy supply is connected to the integratedswitching circuit via the contact areas. A battery, in particular a studbattery, arranged outside the encapsulation supplies the integratedswitching circuit with energy via the contact areas. This ensures thatthe integrated switching circuit can encode a signal even outside ahigh-frequency field that is supplying the transponder with energy.

For the storage of field energy that is made available to thetransponder through the high-frequency field, it is proposed that acapacitor, in addition to the integrated switching circuit and thedriver, is encapsulated with the carrier and that the capacitor can becontacted electrically from outside the encapsulation solely via thecontact points.

It has been shown that advantageous dimensioning of the transponderdevice is characterised by the fact that the carrier with theencapsulated components has a height of 1 to 10 mm, a width of 3 to 20mm and a length of 5 to 30 mm.

To advantage, the encapsulation of the components on the carrier isensured with a polycarbonate bond or an epoxy resin bond. These bondsserve to protect the transponder against environmental influences.

In order to adapt to the transponder device to the wishes of therespective users and to store individual sequencing controls, as well asfor the purpose of storing a transmission procedure, a transmission rateand coding parameters and suchlike, it is proposed that the integratedswitching circuit has a memory, whereby the memory collects data. Thememory can for example be an EEPROM memory, which can be read out anddescribed electrically. It is also proposed that the memory can beprogrammed via an air interface. This ensures high flexibility of thetransponder device.

On account of the small construction of the transponder device, it ispossible and proposed to integrate the transponder device in a key.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in greater detail in the following withthe aid of a drawing.

The following are shown:

FIG. 1 a block diagram of a transponder device according to theinvention,

FIG. 2 a plan view of an encapsulated transponder, and

FIG. 3 a side view of an encapsulated transponder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Transponder device 100, which is represented in FIG. 1 as a blockdiagram, comprises an encapsulated transponder 110. An aerial 112, acapacitor 114 and an integrated switching circuit 116 with EEPROM 116 aare arranged in encapsulated transponder 110. Aerial 112 draws itsenergy from a high-frequency field which is present in the environmentof the transponder. This energy can be stored in capacitor 114 for ashort time. With a high-frequency field present, the energy stored incapacitor 114 can be used for the purpose of encoding in integratedswitching circuit 116 a signal which is in turn transmitted via aerial112. Contact points 120 enable contacting of integrated switchingcircuit 116 by components 122–134 which are arranged outside theencapsulation. Energy source 132, e.g. a battery, supplies integratedswitching circuit 116 with energy, even if transponder 110 is not in ahigh-frequency field. By means of this energy, it is possible to encodea signal which is fed from a driver circuit 130 to integrated switchingcircuit 116 via a contact area 120. The coded signal can be retrieved byintegrated switching circuit 116 through the driver circuit 130 via afurther contact area 120. Once the signal has been encoded, it istransmitted via a driver, which for example is formed as an aerial 134.By this means, an identification signal, for example, can be sent to apiece of equipment (not represented), e.g., a motor vehicle. By means ofthe coding with the aid of integrated switching circuit 116, it isensured that the identification code cannot be retrieved by unauthorizedpersons. The functions of integrated switching circuit 116 can beinfluenced through switches 126, 128, 129. For this purpose, the switchpositions are retrieved by integrated switching circuit 116 via contactareas 120. Depending on the state of integrated switching circuit 116and on the switch positions of switches 126, 128, 129, status displays122, 124 are controlled by integrated switching circuit 116. This againtakes place via contact points 120. Through status displays 122, 124,the user has an overview of the functions currently operating inintegrated switching circuit 116. As a result of the fact thatintegrated switching circuit 116 is available both for aerial 112 aswell as for aerial 134, integrated switching circuit 116 is able toencode the signals transmitted by aerials 112, 134, with a codingalgorithm.

Circuit board 200 represented in FIG. 2 has a width of 6.1 mm and alength of 12.1 mm. Integrated switching circuit 116, capacitor 114 andaerial 112 are deposited on the circuit board. Contact points 120 can beseen in FIG. 2 as dashed circles.

A side view of transponder 110 can be seen in FIG. 3. Encapsulatedtransponder 250 has a height of 3 mm. Contact points 120 are applied onencapsulated transponder 250. Aerial 112, integrated switching circuit116 and capacitor 114 can be contacted electrically from outsideencapsulation 250 via contact points 120. The electrical contacting ofintegrated switching circuit 116 enables joint use of the functions ofintegrated switching circuit 116 through both aerial 112 and aerial 134.

1. A transponder device for the identification of objects in front ofpieces of equipment, with an integrated switching circuit (116), with afirst driver (112) and with a carrier (200) accommodating a circuit,whereby the first driver (112) and the switching circuit (116) aredeposited on a first surface of the carrier (200), a plurality ofcontact points (120) are deposited on a second surface of the carrier(200), the contact points (12) are connected electrically to theintegrated switching circuit (116) and the first driver (112), theintegrated switching circuit (116) and the first driver (112) areencapsulated with the carrier (200) in such a way that at least theintegrated switching circuit (116) can be contacted electrically fromoutside the encapsulation solely via the contact points (120), theintegrated switching circuit (116) is formed for the coding of a firstsignal for the first driver (112), a second driver (134) arrangedoutside the encapsulation is provided, the integrated switching circuit(116) is formed for the coding of a second signal for the second driver(134), and the second driver (134) is connected electrically to theintegrated switching circuit (116) via the contact areas (120) for thetransfer of the second signal between integrated switching circuit (116)and the second driver (134), the integrated switching circuit (116) andthe first driver (112) can be contacted electrically from outside theencapsulation solely via the contact points.
 2. The transponder deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second driver (112, 134)are designed as an aerial.
 3. The transponder service according to claim2, wherein first aerial (112) sends at a frequency in the kilohertzrange and that the second aerial (134) sends at a frequency in themegahertz range.
 4. The transponder device according to claim 1, whereina driver circuit (130) is provided for the generation of a carriersignal, that the driver circuit is connected to the integrated switchingcircuit (116) via contact areas (120) for the transfer of the carriersignal and that the integrated switching circuit (116) is formed for thegeneration of the second signal from the carrier signal.
 5. Thetransponder device according to claim 1, wherein at least one switch(126, 128, 129) arranged outside the encapsulation is connected to theintegrated switching circuit (116) via the contact areas (120) and thatthe switch position influences the behavior of the integrated switchingcircuit (116).
 6. The transponder service according to claim 5, whereinthe integrated switching circuit (116) controls a sequence of functionsinside the transponder device depending on the position of the switch(126, 128, 129), whereby the integrated switching circuit (116) isformed for the control of elements outside the encapsulation via thecontact areas (120).
 7. The transponder service according to claim 1,wherein the integrated switching circuit (116) is formed for the codingof the first and the second signal with an identical coding algorithm,whereby a coding key for the first signal differs from a coding key forthe second signal.
 8. The transponder service according to claim 1,wherein at least one status indicator (122, 124) is arranged outside theencapsulation and that the integrated switching circuit (116) is formedfor the control of the status indicator (122, 124) via the contact areas(120).
 9. The transponder service according to claim 1, wherein thecontact points (120) are designed as a ball-grid array.
 10. Thetransponder service according to claim 1, wherein an energy supply (132)is arranged outside the encapsulation and that the energy supply (132)is connected to the integrated switching circuit (116) via the contactareas (120).
 11. The transponder service according to claim 1, wherein acapacitor (114), in addition to the integrated switching circuit (116)and the driver (112), is encapsulated with the carrier (200) and thatthe capacitor (114) can be contacted electrically from outside theencapsulation solely via the contact points (120).
 12. The transponderservice according to claim 11, wherein the carrier (200) with theencapsulated components (112, 114, 116) has a height of 1 to 10 mm, awidth of 3 to 20 mm and a length of 5 to 30 mm.
 13. The transponderservice according to claim 11, wherein the components (112, 114, 116)are encapsulated with a polycarbonate bond.
 14. The transponder serviceaccording to claim 11, wherein the components (112, 114, 116) areencapsulated with an epoxy resin bond.
 15. The transponder serviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the integrated switching circuit (116) hasa memory (EEPROM), whereby the memory collects data.
 16. The transponderservice according to claim 15, wherein the memory can be programmed viaan air interface.
 17. The transponder service according to claim 1,wherein the transponder device is integrated into a key.
 18. Atransponder device for the identification of objects in front of piecesof equipment, with an integrated switching circuit (116), with a firstdriver (112) and with a carrier (200) accommodating a circuit, wherebythe first driver (112) and the switching circuit (116) are deposited ona first surface of the carrier (200), a plurality of contact points(120) are deposited on a second surface of the carrier (200), thecontact points (12) are connected electrically to the integratedswitching circuit (116) and the first driver (112), the integratedswitching circuit (116) and the first driver (112) are encapsulated withthe carrier (200) in such a way that at least the integrated switchingcircuit (116) can be contacted electrically from outside theencapsulation solely via the contact points (120), the integratedswitching circuit (116) is formed for the coding of a first signal forthe first driver (112), a second driver (134) arranged outside theencapsulation is provided, the integrated switching circuit (116) isformed for the coding of a second signal for the second driver (134),and the second driver (134) is connected electrically to the integratedswitching circuit (116) via the contact areas (120) for the transfer ofthe second signal between integrated switching circuit (116) and thesecond driver (134), a driver circuit (130) is provided for thegeneration of a carrier signal, that the driver circuit is connected tothe integrated switching circuit (116) via contact areas (120) for thetransfer of the carrier signal, and that the integrated switchingcircuit (116) is formed for the generation of the second signal from thecarrier signal.
 19. A transponder device for the identification ofobjects in front of pieces of equipment, with an integrated switchingcircuit (116), with a first driver (112) and with a carrier (200)accommodating a circuit, whereby the first driver (112) and theswitching circuit (116) are deposited on a first surface of the carrier(200), a plurality of contact points (120) are deposited on a secondsurface of the carrier (200), the contact points (12) are connectedelectrically to the integrated switching circuit (116) and the firstdriver (112), the integrated switching circuit (116) and the firstdriver (112) are encapsulated with the carrier (200) in such a way thatat least the integrated switching circuit (116) can be contactedelectrically from outside the encapsulation solely via the contactpoints (120), the integrated switching circuit (116) is formed for thecoding of a first signal for the first driver (112), a second driver(134) arranged outside the encapsulation is provided, the integratedswitching circuit (116) is formed for the coding of a second signal forthe second driver (134), and the second driver (134) is connectedelectrically to the integrated switching circuit (116) via the contactareas (120) for the transfer of the second signal between integratedswitching circuit (116) and the second driver (134), the integratedswitching circuit (116) controls a sequence of functions inside thetransponder device depending on the position of a switch (126, 128,129), whereby the integrated switching circuit (116) is formed for thecontrol of elements outside the encapsulation via the contact areas(120).
 20. A transponder device for the identification of objects infront of pieces of equipment, with an integrated switching circuit(116), with a first driver (112) and with a carrier (200) accommodatinga circuit, whereby the first driver (112) and the switching circuit(116) are deposited on a first surface of the carrier (200), a pluralityof contact points (120) are deposited on a second surface of the carrier(200), the contact points (12) are connected electrically to theintegrated switching circuit (116) and the first driver (112), theintegrated switching circuit (116) and the first driver (112) areencapsulated with the carrier (200) in such a way that at least theintegrated switching circuit (116) can be contacted electrically fromoutside the encapsulation solely via the contact points (120), theintegrated switching circuit (116) is formed for the coding of a firstsignal for the first driver (112), a second driver (134) arrangedoutside the encapsulation is provided, the integrated switching circuit(116) is formed for the coding of a second signal for the second driver(134), and the second driver (134) is connected electrically to theintegrated switching circuit (116) via the contact areas (120) for thetransfer of the second signal between integrated switching circuit (116)and the second driver (134) a capacitor (114), in addition to theintegrated switching circuit (116) and the driver (112), is encapsulatedwith the carrier (200), and that the capacitor (114) can be contactedelectrically from outside the encapsulation solely via the contactpoints (120).
 21. A transponder device for the identification of objectsin front of pieces of equipment, with an integrated switching circuit(116), with a first driver (112) and with a carrier (200) accommodatinga circuit, whereby the first driver (112) and the switching circuit(116) are deposited on a first surface of the carrier (200), a pluralityof contact points (120) are deposited on a second surface of the carrier(200), the contact points (12) are connected electrically to theintegrated switching circuit (116) and the first driver (112), theintegrated switching circuit (116) and the first driver (112) areencapsulated with the carrier (200) in such a way that at least theintegrated switching circuit (116) can be contacted electrically fromoutside the encapsulation solely via the contact points (120), theintegrated switching circuit (116) is formed for the coding of a firstsignal for the first driver (112), a second driver (134) arrangedoutside the encapsulation is provided, the integrated switching circuit(116) is formed for the coding of a second signal for the second driver(134), and the second driver (134) is connected electrically to theintegrated switching circuit (116) via the contact areas (120) for thetransfer of the second signal between integrated switching circuit (116)and the second driver (134), the integrated switching circuit (116) hasa memory (EEPROM), whereby the memory collects data.